1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of editing text data to be printed in a plurality of lines as well as to a printing device for printing the edited text data in the plurality of lines.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among a variety of printing devices generally known, there are small-sized printing devices for printing desired text data on a surface of an adhesive tape having an adhesive rear face. With such a tape printing device, a desirable title or name is printed on a label (cut piece of a tape) through simple operation. These labels with an adhesive are applied in both domestic and business fields, for example, on the spine of business files or the back of video tapes.
A high-functional, value-added printing device has been developed to allow text data to be printed in a plurality of lines on the tape. Tape cartridges used for the printing device may accommodate transferable tapes and those of various colors and widths other than the conventional adhesive tapes.
The value-added function of printing text data in a plurality of lines, however, leads to increase the size of the device undesirably, thereby damaging the advantages of the portable printing device. The size increase of the high-functional printing device is mainly attributable to a large display unit for editing text data of plural lines.
Simple down-sizing of the display makes it difficult to check and observe information and data on the display. Another possible structure for the down-sizing shows only part of text data to be edited. This deteriorates the efficiency of editing procedures and may result in waste of the tape since mistakes are often found after the printing on the tape.
There is a known function applicable to the printing device, which calculates a required length for input text data and displays the required length of the tape. A fixed unit of length is, however, confusing since some nations adopt the metric system whereas other nations use the inch-yard system. Calculation results of the required length based on the input text data may cause display of rather complicated numbers with decimal point.
One object of the invention is accordingly to provide a printing device having a small display unit which allows the user to easily check and observe data and information without deteriorating the efficiency of editing procedures.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method of editing data with such a printing device.
The above and other related objects are realized by a tape printing device for editing data of up to xe2x80x98nxe2x80x99 lines, where xe2x80x98nxe2x80x99 is an integer at least 2, and printing the edited data in xe2x80x98mxe2x80x99 lines, where xe2x80x98mxe2x80x99 is an integer between 1 to the maximum line number xe2x80x98nxe2x80x99. In the tape printing device of the invention, the edited data are displayed on a main display unit in xe2x80x98pxe2x80x99 lines, where xe2x80x98pxe2x80x99 is an integer between 1 to xe2x80x98nxe2x80x99xe2x88x921. A line currently edited is displayed as a digit on an auxiliary display unit. The data which occupies a relative large display area and includes data of the line currently edited are displayed on the main display unit while the current editing position is indicated on the auxiliary display unit.
The invention is also directed to another tape printing device for editing data of up to xe2x80x98nxe2x80x99 lines, where xe2x80x98nxe2x80x99 is an integer at least 2, and printing the edited data in xe2x80x98mxe2x80x99 lines, where xe2x80x98mxe2x80x99 is an integer between 1 to xe2x80x98nxe2x80x99. In the tape printing device of the invention, the edited data are displayed on a display unit in xe2x80x98pxe2x80x99 lines, where xe2x80x98pxe2x80x99 is an integer between 1 and the maximum line number xe2x80x98nxe2x80x99. The data displayed on the display unit can be scrolled along each line. A digit representing a line number at a head of the data displayed on the display unit is indicated in either of the following forms. When the data is scrolled to make the head of the data reach an end of the display unit and further scrolled to be out of a display area of the display unit, the digit representing a line number is indicated at a fixed position on the end of the display unit. When the data is scrolled to make the head of the data reach the end of the display unit and further scrolled to be within the display area of the display unit, the digit representing a line number is indicated at the head of the data.
According to another aspect of the invention, a tape printing device for printing data on a tape or recording medium inputs data, prints the input data on the tape, and cuts the tape with the data printed thereon at a specified length. The specified length of the tape with the data printed thereon is displayed together with a unit of length on the display unit prior to the printing procedures. The unit of length can be selected among a plurality of choices.
The invention is further directed to a method of displaying and editing data to be printed on a tape or recording medium utilizing a main display unit for displaying the edited data of xe2x80x98pxe2x80x99 lines, where xe2x80x98pxe2x80x99 is an integer, and an auxiliary display unit disposed near the main display unit for executing an auxiliary display with digits. The method includes the steps of:
(1) editing data of a maximum line number xe2x80x98nxe2x80x99, where xe2x80x98nxe2x80x99 is an integer between 1 to the line number xe2x80x98pxe2x80x99 displayed on the main display unit;
(2) controlling the editing procedure of the data and displaying the data including data of a line currently edited on the main display unit; and
(3) indicating the line currently edited on the auxiliary display unit.
The invention also pertains to another method of displaying and editing data to be printed on a tape or recording medium utilizing a display unit for displaying the edited data of xe2x80x98pxe2x80x99 lines, where xe2x80x98pxe2x80x99 is an integer. The method includes the steps of:
(1) editing data of a maximum line number xe2x80x98nxe2x80x99, where xe2x80x98nxe2x80x99 is an integer between 1 to the line number xe2x80x98pxe2x80x99, displayed on the display unit;
(2) controlling the editing procedure of the data to display the data including data of a line currently edited on the display unit;
(3) scrolling the data along the line on the display unit; and
(4) indicating a digit representing a line number at a head of the data displayed on the display unit, the step (4) further including the steps of:
(4-1) when the data is scrolled to make the head of the data reach an end of the display unit and further scrolled to be out of a display area of the display unit, displaying the digit representing a line number at a fixed position on the end of the display unit; and
(4-2) when the data is scrolled to make the head of the data reach the end of the display unit and further scrolled to be within the display area of the display unit, displaying the digit representing a line number at the head of the data.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method of displaying and editing data to be printed on a tape or recording medium includes the steps of:
inputting data;
calculating a length of the tape which is sufficient for the input data printed thereon and includes a certain blank;
specifying a unit of length applied to the length of the tape; and
displaying the calculated length of the tape with the specified unit of length.
These and other objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with the accompanying drawings.